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Concert of many hues
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The glamorous father-daughter duo, Pt. Ravi Shankar and Anoushka Shankar, performed in Kolkata last month in aid of a child health centre. ROMAIN MAITRA comments.
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Classical treat for Kolkata's music lovers.
AFTER a gap of nearly two-and-a-half years, Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar, probably the world's best-known Indian, made a surprise visit a few days ago to his hometown Kolkata with wife Sukanya and daughter Anoushka. The main purpose of the visit seemed to be a performance with Anoushka in aid of a child health centre in the city.
The maestro has a love-hate relationship with the city. On the one hand, he has spent fruitful years here, especially in the 1950s, when he was a significant part of the cultural activities, including his historic associations with Satyajit Ray.
But now, at 83, he appeared a little crestfallen as he explained that, despite consultations with the chief ministers present and past, he could not get land in Kolkata for his archival and recording centre, which he has now set up in New Delhi. "I would have been only too happy to have the centre in Kolkata, but that does not seem to be the destiny," he quipped. He also fondly remembered the golden era of classical music from the 1950s to the 1970s. The maestro also wished he had a more involved audience in the front rows. "When the audience claps at the right moment, it inspires the artist. Earlier, I have often heard people in the front-row snoring during the alaap or sounds of cups and saucers while tea was being offered to the VIPs," he said.
Panditji's glamorous 21-year-old daughter Anoushka performed with her father for the third time. Her engagement chart has been a roller-coaster of rehearsals and high-profile concerts totalling a staggering 80 shows, the publication of her book on her father, Bapi — The Love Of My Life, and a foray into acting in "Dance Like A Man", directed by Pamela Rooks. The film, based on Mahesh Dattani's play about Bharatnatyam dancers, has seen her taking dance lessons. In her book, she described her illustrious father in 10 sections, child, dancer, student, musician, rockstar, creator, achiever, guru, man, and joker. But when asked which Ravi Shankar inspires her more, the father or the guru, she answered, "I have never thought of him separately. I think, both his entities as father and as guru merge with each other." However, Ravi Shankar's comments about her were emphatic, "It is not easy for me to evaluate her as I have seen her grow up so closely. But she is brimming with talent and merit."
The organiser of the December 21 show was Arogya Sandhan, a voluntary organisation for medical and social welfare for children. Although roping in this high-profile duo to generate funds to build a children's hospital of 100 beds speak of the organisational calibre of this low-profile organisation, the events before the concert proved the contrary. An 11-year old tabla player, introduced as a child prodigy, was to perform in the beginning but he was soon pressurised by a volunteer to stop. The reason? A whole train of VIPs had to sit on the stage for a felicitation ceremony. Much to the rising impatience of the audience, the event went on for a considerably long time.
Before Ravi Shankar came on stage, a resplendent Anoushka played raag Puravi at first in alaap, jor, and jhala in Rupak taal in seven beats to the spirited accompaniment of Bikram Ghosh and Tanmoy Bose. It was heartening to note that she has imbibed from her father the playing of the lower octave with sombre tones. Her second piece was a short Carnatic composition of Raghuvamsasudha in Adi taalam to which she brought in harmonic effect with inventive variations. After this, before Ravi Shankar could begin to play, he was pounced upon by a throng of lensmen who continued for long to charge their flashguns at him until the volunteers physically shoved them out of the auditorium. The much-displeased maestro complained: "Can one make music in this ambience?"
However, what followed was unalloyed joy. He began his duet recital with Anoushka with his own composition in raag Anandi Kalyan in alaap, jor, and jhala with the rare Dumukha taal, an alternative combination of seven and ten-and-half beats, accompanied on the tabla by Bikram Ghosh and Abhijit Banerjee. Clarity of notes, expansive gats, fast fingering on the frets and innovative way of handling the two percussionists proved indeed that his comparison could only be himself. This was followed by a drut in Maru Behag with Anoushka combining on the faster beats.
However, the surprise was yet to come. The piece de resistance was another composition that he called raag Bahurangi, a many hued piece with its base in raag Piloo, but touched now upon raag Durga, Vasant Bahar, or Tilak Shyam. He suddenly stopped and spoke. "The afternoon before coming here I thought about all the sick and hungry children of the world and these words came to my mind." Then, much to the surprise of the audience he sang these lines in Bengali - "Oh, my mother, I am hungry. Nothing seems good to me, give me something to eat, mother. I cannot carry on, oh mother, I am hungry" and played and developed on the tune. The audience was charmed by his music and the maestro was contented. Suddenly, after finishing a section, he paused and said, "Ki bhaalo je lagchhe! (Oh, I feel so good)."
The writer is a drama critic based in Kolkata.
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